Second-half surge leads men's soccer past Holy Cross

Wednesday, October 27

Providence, R.I.

7:00 PM

Brown University

4-8-1, 1-2-1

Holy Cross

8-6-2, 5-2-0

Holy Cross

Brown

Photo by: David Silverman Photography

Second-half surge leads men's soccer past Holy Cross

10/27/2021 9:22:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Brown men's soccer team defeated Patriot League-leading Holy Cross 3-2 Wednesday evening thanks to three second-half goals.

"It felt really good to come back in the second half," head coach Patrick Laughlin said. "I thought we played really well in the first half against a strong wind. It was unfortunate we gave up a goal right before half, but we talked in the locker room and came back out with great energy and effort.

"To get three goals in the second half against a team that is at the top of the Patriot League, it was a good feeling for us. Now, we start thinking about Penn. The next game is the one that matters."

The first half took about 40 minutes to really get going, with both sides generating minimal chances to open the game. The Crusaders would get on the board in the 42^nd minute after Evan Jones chested down a long cross into the box and found the back of the net.

Kojo Dadzie earned the Bears a corner kick in the 51^st minute of action. Will Crain took it and found Dadzie at the back post who emphatically knocked the header home to tie the game.

Brown would take the lead just eight minutes later. Zakary Lawal won the ball just inside the Holy Cross half and quickly found an open Derek Waleffe. Waleffe brought the ball in and let a left-footed shot rip from 20 yards out that found the bottom right corner of the net.

In the 77^th minute, Jack Cloherty would score his first collegiate goal off of a rebound from a Mike Balleani shot to make it 3-1.

Less than one minute later, the Crusaders would answer to make it 3-2, but that's as close as they would get. Will Crain saved the game in the 86^th minute when he cleared a Holy Cross shot off the goal line to preserve the 3-2 lead.

After a slow first half, Brown completely owned the second 45. The Bears outshot the Crusaders in the second half 11-3 and earned 12 corners to Holy Cross' zero. On the night, Brown held the 14-8 shot advantage and a 13-4 edge in corners.

The Bears return to Ivy League action this Saturday, Oct. 30 with a 3 p.m. home matchup with Penn.